Three volleyball teams advance to regional finals
Photo, story by Jeff Steers
Recorder contributing writer
Three Jackson County schools will be competing for regional volleyball titles Thursday.
Western High School won its regional semifinal in Division 2, Hanover-Horton faces Clinton in the Division 3 final at Lumen Christi, and Concord travels to Bellevue Thursday for the regional final against Mendon.
Here are results from district and regional matches.
Regional Volleyball
Division 2 at A.A. Gabriel Richard
Western 3, Wixom St. Catherine 2: The Panthers rallied for a five-set win Tuesday at Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. Western won the first set, lost the next two, then rallied for a five-set win to avenge a loss earlier in the season to St. Catherine. Bayli Stewart finished with 16 kills, Ella Wilcox added 12 kills and 13 points at the service line, Madi Redovich dished 27 assists, and J.J. Lewis added 24 digs for Western. The Panthers take on Tecumseh in the regional final Thursday at 6 p.m. at A.A. Gabriel Richard.
Division 3 at Lumen Christi
Clinton 3, Lumen Christi 0: The Titans lost at home in Division 3 regional play. Lumen Christi finishes the season with a 20-12-2 record while Clinton takes its 43 wins into the regional final Thursday against Hanover-Horton.
Hanover-Horton 3, Manchester 1: The Comets advanced to the regional final with a win over Manchester at Lumen Christi Tuesday night. Hanover-Horton (40-7-3) faces Clinton Thursday at 7 p.m. at LCCHS in the regional final.
Division 4 at Bellevue
Concord 3, Lenawee Christian 0: The Yellow Jackets advanced to the regional final with a sweep of Lenawee Christian. Iyla Weeks finished with 22 kills, Bradie Lehman finished with 24 assists, and Jaylyn Otto scored four aces for Concord. The Yellow Jackets face Medon in the regional final Thursday at 5 p.m. at Bellevue.
District Volleyball
Division 2 Final at Chelsea
Western 3, Columbia Central 0: Western High School swept CCHS 25-12, 25-17, and 25-18 claiming the district title at Chelsea High School Saturday. The two teams met the first match of the season, but Saturday’s event was a win-or-go-home contest. “We played CCHS in August … but this is a different team right now,” Western Coach JoDee Johnston said. “We finally got everyone in the correct positions (on the court).” Bayli Stewart led Western with 13 kills, Becca Brushaber created 32 assists, and J.J. Lewis led Western in digs. Lydia Sander led CCHS with five kills and Cecelia Slat finished with 14 digs for CCHS (17-16-2). The Panthers (27-13-3) advance to the Division 2 regional semifinal Tuesday at A.A. Gabriel Richard to face Wixom St. Catherine at 7 p.m. The final is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at AAGR.
D-3 Final at Whitmore Lake
Manchester 3, Grass Lake 2: The Warriors lost 15-13 in the fifth set to close out the season. Mia Buttigieg finished with 35 assists, Ashleigh Simon added 20 kills, and Reese Lape tallied seven kills and four blocks for Grass Lake. Manchester advances to the Lumen Christi regional Tuesday to face Cascades Conference foes Hanover-Horton. Grass Lake finishes the season with a 26-13-3 record.
D-3 Final at Quincy
Hanover-Horton 3, Hillsdale 0: Morgan Kuhl finished with 11 kills, Molly Soper added 25 assists and 11 kills, and Mollie Barber served six aces for the Comets. Hanover-Horton faces Manchester at 7 p.m. at the Lumen Christi Division 3 regional Tuesday.
Division 3 Final at Dansville
Lumen Christi 3, Dansville 0: The Titans advance to the regional semifinals at home Tuesday following the sweep.
Division 3 at Napoleon
Clinton 3, Hudson 0: Clinton will face Addison in the district final Saturday at 1 p.m. Clinton went on to win the district title against Addison.
Addison 3, Napoleon 0: The Panthers swept Napoleon in three sets at NHS Thursday night.
Division 4 Final at Concord
Concord 3, Jackson Christian 0: The Yellow Jackets defeated Jackson Christian in three sets to win the district title at home. Iyla Weeks finished with 21 kills and four blocks, Annie Saenz served six aces, and Bradie Lehman finished with 27 assists for Concord. The Royals were led by Johannah Loew with six kills and Madi Conrad dished 11 assists. Concord advances to the MHSAA Division 4 regional at Bellevue High School beginning Tuesday to play Lenawee Christian.
